Letters
by ladyhawk89
Summary: Katara receives a letter that changes everything. My first (and honestly probably only) contribution for Zutara Week 2018.


_**Letters**_

For a moment, Katara felt as if she were watching herself from outside of her body. Her face was flushed, teeth gritted and fists clenched tightly at her side. In front of her Aang stood with his shoulders straight and head held high and noble. While Katara was seething in anger, Aang's entire being radiated disappointment. He looked every inch the martyr facing down an enemy to his cause. It was a tableau that was becoming all too familiar in their relationship.

"I can't do this with you right now." Katara pressed her fingers to her temples, coming back to herself. Aang's manner shifted to pleading as he took a step forward.

"Katara, be reasonable- "Aang started. Katara's cutting glare was enough to stop whatever Aang was about to say.

"We'll talk later," she told him, heading for the door. "Right now, I need to get out of here before I hurt your feelings." She slammed the door behind her to make her point, and startled a maid who was walking by.

"Master Katara," she said with a quick bow. Katara mumbled a greeting. She was going to continue walking, but stopped short.

"Hey, wait!" she spun around and called after the maid. "How do I get to the garden from here?"

"The-the royal garden?" the maid stammered. "I…I don't think…I mean, only members of the royal family are allowed- "

"It's fine," Katara cut her off impatiently. "Zu-the Fire Lord said I could go there whenever I'd like." The skittish maid was still uncertain, but she didn't want to be accused of insulting one of Fire Lord Zuko's guests. She directed Katara to the fastest route to the Fire Lord's private gardens, trusting the palace guards or gardeners would keep her out if she wasn't supposed to be there.

Katara felt immediately better once the air hit her. It felt cool and refreshing against her heated skin. She took a deep breath and walked down the marble stairs into the garden. Kazuya, the head gardener looked up when he heard her footsteps on the gravel path. He gave her a quick bow and continued clipping the topiary. No one else bothered Katara, to her relief.

There was a lonely corner of the garden that Katara was almost certain would be empty. The stone bench was warm from the afternoon heat. Katara settled onto the seat and tucked her legs up beneath her, leaning against the wall.

The flowers in this part of the garden were in full bloom. They had red hearts that faded out to orange with white at the tips of the petals. The potent scent of them combined with the warm afternoon soothed Katara enough that her anger cooled into a heavy misery. She shut her eyes and let her head roll backwards against the low ivy-covered wall, and groaned.

"Are the flowers that bad?" Katara looked up and nodded a greeting at Zuko. It was all she felt capable of around the lump in her throat. Zuko tucked his hands into the sleeves of his robes and cleared his throat. "Are you alright?"

Katara thought about lying. He'd know it was a lie of course, but he would leave her alone. Suddenly though, Katara didn't feel like being alone. She missed her brother and Suki. She missed her father and grandmother. Spirits help her, she missed blunt, tactless Toph. She shook her head and blinked against the tears.

"No," she told him. Her voice was shaky. Zuko sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and let her cry into his silk robes.

"Do you feel like talking about it?" Zuko asked when Katara calmed down enough to speak.

"I had a fight with Aang," Katara said frankly. She stood up and walked to the bed of tall flowers across from their seat. Zuko didn't seem surprised, and Katara hadn't really expected him to be.

"What were you fighting about?" Zuko asked. Katara turned towards him and raised an eyebrow.

"You mean what were we fighting about **this time**?" The faint blush on Zuko's cheeks told her that she had hit the mark. She smiled sardonically. She turned her gaze to the bed of flowers across the path from them.

"You don't have to tell me," he told her. Katara shrugged.

"It wasn't _really_ a fight," she said. "Aang doesn't really fight back. He just looks at you like you killed Momo or something and tries to ' _reason'_ with you. You know what I mean." Zuko did know, but he didn't feel right about confirming it.

"It's happening more and more lately," Katara said. "I'm just so tired of it."

"You've gone through hard times before," Zuko pointed out. Katara sighed and stood up and walked over to the flowers. She ran her fingers over the silky petals.

"This is different."

"What happened?" Zuko asked again.

"I got a letter from Pakku," Katara said. "He and my father want to establish a school in the Southern Tribe for water benders." Zuko sat up in wide eyed surprise.

"I thought you were the last one in your tribe." Katara turned and smirked at him

"I _was_ ," she replied. "But there are children who have been born since I left who are discovering they are water benders. Not to mention the families who are moving to the Southern Tribe from the North. They need to be trained. Anyway, Pakku wants me to come help set up the school."

"That so?" Zuko looked impressed. He knew Pakku well enough to recognize that he had paid Katara a high compliment.

"Yeah," Katara continued. "He says that he wants to help the Southern Tribe avoid the prejudices of the Northern Tribe."

"That's amazing!" Zuko grinned at her. "Congratulations!"

" _Thank_ you!" Katara threw her hands out to her sides. "Now, if _Aang_ had had that reaction, we'd be fine now." Zuko's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What did he say?" Katara's entire body seemed to droop as she turned to face the flowers again. Her gentle stroking turned to absent minded plucking.

"He doesn't want me to go."

"That's not unusual," Zuko said. "After all, you've been together for going on three years. It's going to be hard to see you go."

"It's not just that." Katara hesitated. She wrung her hands uncertainly. Zuko stood, not knowing what to do. He put a hand on Katara's shoulder. She reached up and rested her hand on top. "He said I was selfish to even consider going."

" _What_?" Zuko pulled back in surprise. Katara nodded. She was so very tired.

"He said he needs me with him, but I don't see what for," Katara turned back to Zuko, eyes full of anguish and underscored with dark circles. "Zuko, do you know that these last two months in the Fire Nation are the most useful I've felt in…so long." Zuko guided Katara back to the bench and sat down with her.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Iroh…"Katara struggled to find words to explain. "You speak to us both. You ask me to sit in on meetings, and my opinion on important issues."

"And others don't?" Zuko was genuinely confused. Katara had the makings of a formidable diplomat. Asking her opinion about foreign policy and public welfare just seemed a matter of course after everything she'd been through and done. Zuko and Iroh hadn't been around when she inspired a group of earth benders to rebel against their Fire Nation captors in the middle of the ocean, but they had heard about it. They had also heard about her stint as the Painted Lady. Her dedication to helping people in need- even when those people were technically her enemies at the time- had been inspiring. Who _wouldn't_ ask her opinion on policy and fair retribution and establishing hospitals, schools and libraries? It was as natural as asking Toph about infrastructure, and Sokka about technology.

"It's not just that," she told Zuko. "I expect people to underestimate me. I don't like it, but I'm used to it. I can deal with _that._ The _worst_ thing has been that Aang has stopped including me in things." Katara put her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her hands. "He used to ask my advice, and now..."

"Have you talked to him about it?" Katara stared aimlessly out at the flowers. The wind had picked up a bit, making their perfume stronger.

"I have," she replied. "He told me that it was just because he's becoming more confident in his decisions."

"It never hurts to have a lot of advisors," Zuko pointed out. "Even if he doesn't agree with you all the time, you're still too smart not to listen to. I mean, _I_ feel more confident as Fire Lord, but I still have advisors whose opinions I trust." Katara smiled at Zuko gratefully.

"Like Iroh," she said. Zuko nodded.

"And you, too," he said. "It was really mostly to borrow _your_ brain that I asked you and Aang to come visit in the first place. I was worried that I was making too many demands on you." Katara snorted derisively.

"Ha! Hardly! I feel _useful_ again. I've missed that. That's why I want to go home and help with the school. It's not like it would be forever." Katara manage to shoot Zuko a knowing look. "Pakku doesn't want me to actually teach. Not permanently anyway. Mostly he wants me to train the other teachers. I'd be there for a year, a year and a half tops." Zuko hummed thoughtfully and followed Katara's eyes across the path.

"It'd be hard on Aang," he said at last.

"I know," Katara said. "But it'd be hard on me _not_ to go. Does that make me selfish?" Katara turned to look Zuko in the eye. He thought for a moment, weighing his answer before he replied.

"No," he said firmly. "Just like it wasn't selfish of you to leave your home to help Aang." Relief washed over Katara visibly. She slumped back against the wall. Her eyes drifted shut and she lifted her head towards the sun.

Katara sat silently, considering her options. After a while, all that was clear to her was that she had some thinking to do. With a wan smile, she stood up. A fistful of petals fell to the ground around her.

"Oh," she gasped. A faint blush warmed her cheeks. "I'll have to apologize to Kazuya for wrecking his flowers." Zuko waved her off.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Azula and I did worse when we were growing up. He'll be fine. And if he's not, I'll tell him I did it." Katara forced a chuckle and said goodbye, leaving Zuko alone in the garden.

She didn't join the others for dinner that night. Aang ate in silence, which Zuko didn't try to break. If Iroh noticed anything wrong, he didn't acknowledge it beyond hoping that Katara wasn't getting sick for lack of rest.

"She's been working so hard," he commented. Zuko grunted in agreement. Aang didn't say anything at all. Zuko arranged to have Katara's dinner taken to her suit, and he suspected that his uncle had sent tea later that evening, but otherwise no one heard from her for the rest of the night.

The following day had no important meetings scheduled. Katara kept mostly to her rooms, the library and the garden. Aang seemed to be just as determined to avoid her, as he made plans to tour Caldera.

"Something is up with them," Iroh commented over his tea. Zuko made a slight noise in response. He stared at the Pai Sho board in front of him with a concentration that made the aging general proud.

"Whatever's going on, don't get involved," Zuko warned, picking up a dragon tile. "It's none of your business." Iroh sputtered in protest.

"I would never!' he declared. Zuko fixed him with a pointed look.

"I know you, Uncle," he said. "You and your relentless need to solve everyone's problems. It's like a sickness with you." Iroh frowned and moved his tile.

"I certainly hope I can be trusted to know when my friends need help and when it's best to keep my nose out of it."

"I hope so, too," Zuko muttered. He made his next move. Iroh stared at his nephew for a long moment and sighed.

"It seems that we both know more than we're letting on." Zuko's head snapped up.

"What?" Iroh shrugged.

"I mean that it seems that we have both been made confidants. "

"Uncle-"

"I won't say who told me what, and I don't expect you to either." Iroh took a long sip of his tea. "I do agree, though, that we should probably stay out of this one." Iroh glanced down at the board and moved his cherry blossom tile, and taking Zuko's dragon tile in one move, to his nephew's shock and dismay.

"Hey!"

-:-:-:-:-:-

 _I know that this may be asking a lot of you. However, I believe that given the_

 _circumstances, and your unique qualifications, the school in the Southern Tribe_

 _would benefit greatly from your presence, even if it's only for a little while._

 _If I'm being perfectly honest, I'm afraid that talented as the instructors I have chosen are,_

 _they still carry old prejudices with them that will be hard to break them of. Though if anyone could do it…_

Katara read through Pakku's letter once again, lingering on portions she had already committed to memory. Pakku had learned the error of discounting a water bender just because she was a woman, but most of the instructors in the North had not. Katara didn't think she could change their minds, and she was sure Pakku wouldn't expect her to. What she _could_ do was establish a culture of equality in the school. She could make sure that the female instructors knew their voices would be heard and see that the young girls coming to train would be allowed train however they wanted. Suddenly, Katara felt like she had a purpose again. It wasn't something Aang understood. Katara wasn't sure if he _wanted_ to understand.

When dinnertime rolled around, Aang hadn't returned from town, but Katara still decided not to eat in the dining room. No one bothered her. Zuko once again had her meal sent to her, not that she was hungry. She gave it back to the maid with only a few bites missing. The rest of the evening she spent preparing herself to speak to Aang.

Night had long since fallen by the time Aang returned to the palace, but his friends were still awake. Zuko and Iroh had either resumed their earlier game of Pai Sho, or begun a new one in the library. Aang stood in the doorway and scanned the area around the fire place.

"Have you seen Katara?" he asked. The two men glanced up.

"She didn't come to dinner," Iroh replied. "She's probably still in her suite." Aang lingered in the door uncertainly for a moment.

"Did she…" he cleared his throat. "Did she say anything?" Iroh and Zuko exchanged discomfited looks.

"We haven't seen her all day," Zuko told his friend. Aang nodded, and rapped his knuckles against the doorframe.

"Okay…" he said. He pushed himself away from the door. "I'm going to go find her. Um…bye."

"Good night, Aang," Iroh said. Zuko just waved.

Aang walked slowly through the guest wing of the palace, cycling through everything he wanted to say. If he kept his present pace, he could stretch his walk to Katara's rooms to fifteen minutes easily. That still didn't feel like enough time.

Too soon, Aang found himself outside of the door to Katara's suite. He raised his hand to knock, then lowered it.

"Come on, Aang," he whispered to himself. "You can do this." He lifted his hand again. The wood was smooth beneath his knuckle. It was heavy, built for keeping out the noise from the hall. How hard should he knock to make sure Katara heard him? Was she even in there? Maybe he should have sent a servant to check.

"Did you need help, Avatar?" Aang nearly leapt from his skin, and spun round on the startled servant behind him.

"Oh!" Aang blushed a bright red and shook his head. "H-hey, Tohru. No…I was just…I just wanted to know if Katara…er Master Katara was in." The servant, Tohru, bowed low and shook his head.

"I couldn't say. I can go find her maid, if you wish. She can check." Aang shook his head vehemently, his blush deepening.

"No!" He winced as his voice bounced off the walls. "I mean, that's okay." The servant bowed again and hurried off down the hall. When he was gone, Aang turned back to the door and knocked quickly, scanning the hallway for any other unwelcomed intrusions.

Katara didn't answer. Aang knocked again. He rocked nervously on his feet while he waited. Maybe she _wasn't_ in after all. Where else could she be? Aang thought she mentioned the gardens. He should check there next. And if she wasn't there…Zuko or Iroh might be able to give him more suggestions. Maybe the she would be in the kitch-

"Aang." Katara held the door open. She looked at Aang expectantly.

"Hey," Aang greeted with a sheepish smile. He rubbed the back of his neck, and shuffled his feet. "I thought we should talk…" Katara sighed and nodded her head. She stepped back to let him into her sitting room.

"That sounds good," she said. "Let's go sit on the balcony. I've got fruit tarts." Aang's face split into a smile.

"All I need to hear." Katara smiled back, and motioned for him to go sit out on the balcony. Just like that, Ang felt some of the tension fall away.

Katara's balcony overlooked the royal gardens, in the opposite direction of Aang's windows which faced a courtyard. The Avatar couldn't help but feel his girlfriend got the better suite.

 _She deserves it, though,_ he told himself. He turned away from the view to the table where Katara was setting down the tea tray Iroh had sent up not long before. They sat down across from each other. Aang helped himself to a tart. There was half a decanter of wine on the table, too. Katara filled her glass. Nearly to the brim, Aang noted with a slight frown.

"You're just getting back?" Katara asked. The silence was too heavy.

"A few minutes ago," Aang told her. "I'm sorry I was gone so long." Katara shrugged.

"Don't worry about it." Katara took a healthy gulp from her glass and took a deep breath. "So, listen…I've thought it over. I'm going to take Pakku's offer." Aang gasped.

"Shouldn't we talk about this?"

"We _did_ talk about it," Katara reminded him. "You told me exactly how you feel. I still think I need to go. Aang, I don't think you realize how…useless I've felt lately."

"Useless?" Aang gaped. "You're not useless! I _need_ you with me." Katara shook her head.

"No, you don't. You _don't_ need me, and you've made that perfectly clear."

"What are you talking about?" Aang leapt up from his seat. He went over to Katara and grasped her hands in his. "What did I do? Tell me what I did wrong so I can fix it!"

Katara gently pulled her hands from Aang, avoiding his pleading eyes. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Aang, you don't get it," she began. "You're the Avatar. Everyone wants to speak to you. Everyone wants your opinion. Everyone wants a piece of you." Aang's face contorted in incomprehension.

"That's not my fault-"

"I know it's not. It's not your fault that _the whole world_ wants you," Katara said. "Of course, they want _your_ opinion over mine- I expect that. But lately _you_ don't want my opinion either. You don't talk to me about treaties and reconstruction. You used to, but not anymore. I can deal with the rest of the world seeing me as _just_ your girlfriend, but I can't take that from _you_."

"Katara…I didn't mean to…you have to understand I…I'm just trying to do my best to keep the balance…"Katara held a hand up to stop him.

"It's okay," she told him. "This is your _destiny_. I'm not upset about it. I'm proud of you, honestly. But…this is not _my_ destiny."

"It _could_ be," Aang insisted. "I can do better!" Katara shook her head, but Aang pressed. "I _can_! I'll let you make _all_ the decisions from now on. I'll make sure that everyone speaks to you first."

"I don't want you to do that," Katara said. "You are the Avatar. You have a duty to the world. I don't want to stand in your way. I _wanted_ to be your partner, but…Aang let's be honest. We haven't had a _real_ partnership in a long…long time." Aang hung his head. He was reeling.

"I thought we were fine," he whispered. Katara's chest tightened. The guilt was almost overwhelming, but she couldn't change her mind.

"I'm sorry," she said. Aang took her hand and pressed something small and hard into her palm. Katara opened her hand to see what he had given her. It was a betrothal necklace. The small, white pendant on a navy blue velvet choker.

"Please, don't go," Aang pleaded. Katara felt as if the bit of wine had gone to her head. Suddenly the night was stifling. She got up and went to the balcony rail.

"Are you asking me to marry you so I won't leave?" Katara asked. She looked down at the carved ivory disk in her hand. It was as heavy as a millstone, and strangely warm. Katara closed her fingers around the necklace and leaned against the balcony rail. Her gaze landed on the flower bed where she had gone to after their argument the day before. She shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

Her life with Aang flashed before her like a dream. It would be more of her following him around the world, smiling benevolently as world leaders clamored for the Avatar's attention. They'd have children and Aang would spend so much time teaching them about the Air Nomads that they'd forget they were half Water Tribe, too. And Katara would have to let it happen, or be the cause of strife in their marriage. She'd have to let Aang be Aang and she…she would have to be content to stand in the shadows. Master Katara would die and the Avatar's Dutiful Wife would take her place.

Katara straightened her shoulders and turned back to Aang.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Frustration was Zuko's initial reaction. Whoever was at his door was determined to see him. The knocking at the door remained urgent and relentless until Zuko shuffled his way through his bedroom, to his sitting room door, ready to rip into whoever had woken him at such an unreasonable hour His tirade died on his lips as Aang stumbled in with tears streaming down his face.

"She broke up with me!" he cried. Zuko shut the door and followed him into the room. Aang sank into one of the comfortable overstuffed armchairs by the balcony doors. Zuko sat down across from him and waited. Aang slumped down in his chair, cradling his head in one hand and crying softly.

"What happened?" Zuko asked once he thought Aang had calmed down enough to respond. Aang wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"I asked her to marry me," he explained. "She said no and broke up with me." Aang's face screwed up and he fought back another bought of tears. Zuko got him a handkerchief from his bureau, then went over to Aang's side placing a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder.

"What happened?" Zuko asked, though he was sure he had a pretty good idea. Aang explained that he had come back to the palace after dinner and found Katara. Then the argument and proposal that followed.

"It's all Pakku's fault!" Aang declared at the end. "I know Katara's a great water bender, but he's been teaching for longer than Katara's been alive. He could handle the school himself. Or he could have asked _me_ to come with her. _I'm_ a master water bender, too!" Zuko pursed his lips, but he bit off his initial response.

"I'm sorry, Aang," he said instead. "I know how hard ending a relationship is." That only made Aang cry harder

 _"_ It can't be the end," Aang insisted. "It _can't_ be. She's just confused. You _know_ how she gets when she's not sleeping well. Maybe I'm pushing her too hard with all the travelling. Coming here hasn't helped, either. She's working all the time…"

"Aang…" Zuko started uncertainly. "Katara isn't like that. Yeah, she gets emotional when she's tired, but she doesn't make decisions without thinking them through."

"What about Yon Rha?" Aang reminded him. There was more than a hint of reproach, but Zuko chose to ignore it. His friend was in pain.

"That was one decision," Zuko replied. "And she thought that through enough to figure out that killing him wasn't the right choice for her."

"It wasn't the right choice for anyone," Aang muttered. Zuko raised his eyebrow.

"Well, whatever you think of that incident," Zuko continued, "you can't really compare it to this. Katara wouldn't hurt you like this if she didn't think it was the best choice."

"How can it be the best choice if it hurts this badly?" Aang demanded. "I feel like I'm dying! I love her so much. Why isn't that enough?" Aang doubled over with his arms on his knees and buried his face in his hands. It was hard for Zuko to see his normally cheerful friend like this. He didn't think he had ever actually seen Aang cry before.

"Did you consider that maybe Katara's making the best choice for **her** right now?" he asked. Aang's head popped up, he stared at Zuko uncomprehendingly for a moment.

"Zuko, you're really close to her," he said. "Maybe you can change her mind!" Zuko shook his head firmly.

"No. I'm sorry you're hurt right now, but Katara knows what she wants. _No one_ can change her mind once she's made it up. I'm not going to try."

"Please, Zuko," Aang pleaded with him. "I **need** her! I'm no good without her."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked. He ran a hand over his face, and wished for the strength to kick Aang out of his room. "You're the Avatar. You defeated Ozai without her. You brought balance to the world without her." Aang shook his head.

"No, that's just it! I couldn't have done it without her. I…I did it **for** her." Zuko stared at Aang, struck with how…young he looked just then.

"Aang," he said slowly. "It's late and you're upset. Why don't you get some sleep? Things will be clearer in the morning."

"No, it won't," Aang let out a miserable sigh. He stood up and headed for the door. Before he left, he paused and turned to Zuko. His face was red and his eyes puffy. Zuko had never seen him so broken. "Thanks for sitting up with me, Zuko. I'm sorry I woke you." Zuko shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. I hope it helped."

Aang left a week later. He hadn't really had much to do in the Fire Nation, and King Kuei had asked the Avatar to make a visit to Ba Sing Se. Aang decided it would be easier to leave a few weeks earlier than to spend his time trying to convince Katara to talk to him.

"It'll be alright," Aang told Zuko before he left. He had very nearly bounced back from his disappointment, Zuko was surprised to see. Aang laughed brightly at Zuko's concerned expression. "Don't you see, Zuko? Katara and I just need a break, that's all. We've been travelling together alone for two years, and she's tired of it." Zuko's brow furrowed.

"I wouldn't pin all my hopes on that," he warned Aang. The younger man just waved Zuko's warning off.

"You'll see," he said. "She'll miss all of our adventures when I'm gone. I'll bet Katara doesn't even go to the Water Tribe." Zuko chose not to tell him that Iroh was already sorting out travel arrangements for Katara. He didn't feel it was his place, and he didn't think Aang would listen anyway.

Zuko walked with Aang to the stable where Appa was staying and said his final good-byes.

"Would you…would you let Katara know I'll be back in a few weeks?" was Aang's last request. Zuko shrugged and replied noncommittally.

Katara hadn't shown up to say good-bye. She hadn't been at breakfast either. All things considered, Zuko reflected that he shouldn't have been surprised to find her in the garden. She was lounging on the stairs overlooking the garden when he found her. She glanced back at him quickly.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," Zuko replied. He stood awkwardly for a moment, uncertain of what to do. He was considering leaving when Katara motioned for him to sit down.

"Did Aang leave?" she asked as Zuko settled on a step just above hers.

"Um…yeah," he said. "He wants you to know that he'll be back in a few weeks." Katara hummed in response.

"I'll miss this," Katara told Zuko after a long stretch of silence.

"What?" Zuko asked. He followed her gaze around the garden with a slight frown. The place gardens had fallen to disrepair under his father's reign. Thanks to Iroh, they were in the process of being restored to their former glory, but for now, they were less impressive than the gardens in Ba Sing Se's middle tiers. The only truly beautiful part of the garden was the fire lily bed where they had spoken days before. Katara gestured towards them and then the rest of the incomplete beds and half trimmed topiary.

"I love how alive the land is here," she said. "There are colors I never dreamed of right here in your garden. I'm going to miss it when I go home."

"You don't _have_ to leave," Zuko told her. "I know things are…strained right now, but I could use your help here, too. And…well, Aang…" Zuko couldn't even complete the sentence. Katara shook her head.

"I _want_ to go home." She leaned back against the stairs and looked up at Zuko. "I _need_ to. I miss my family. And I want to make sure that the school Pakku and the others from the Northern Tribe get off to a strong start." Zuko smirked at her.

"I understand," he said. "I'm proud of you." Katara blushed at that and shrugged with a self-deprecating smile.

"It's not anything major," she almost mumbled. "It's the least I can give back after everything _I've_ been able to learn and do. I feel like I owe it to the kids in my village to make sure they get a chance to learn from the best, too."

'That explains why **you're** going," Zuko observed. "And Pakku. Why are the others going?" Katara laughed despite herself.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," she chuckled.

They fell into a comfortable silence. Katara took a deep breath of garden air. The scent of damp earth and fresh blooms filled her lungs. She held it for a moment, trying to memorize the smells, the warmth of it. Then she let the air go slowly. It was almost meditative, and Zuko wondered if he should leave her alone.

"Aang and I are over," she said mostly to herself. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "It feels so weird to say that out loud." Zuko stared at Katara for a long moment. Then he turned his gaze back to the flowers.

"It took me a long time to admit to myself that Mai and I had run our course," he told her. "I think we both saw the end coming, but we made ourselves keep going anyway. I can't really tell you why. Maybe I needed something stable in my life. Maybe I was just comfortable, even though I wasn't happy." Katara frowned at that. "If you _really_ feel that your time together is over, the best thing you could've done is end it before you get to a point where you couldn't even be friends anymore." Katara turned back to Zuko, a faint flicker of hope in her eyes.

"You really think Aang and I can be friends after this?" she asked him. Zuko shrugged.

"I think if anyone could make it happen it's you," he said. "I mean, you became friends with _me_ , and our relationship to that point was _way_ more contentious than yours and Aang's." Katara traced patterns on the stone with her finger.

"This is different, though," she pointed out. "I didn't break your heart."

"But I _had_ broken your trust," Zuko countered. "That's just as deep a wound. And Aang will bounce back. He's only fifteen, and these things happen to all of us." Katara stopped drawing on the step and looked up at Zuko. There was a wry smile on her face.

"How did you get so wise?" she asked. Zuko chuckled and shrugged, shifting to try to hide the slight blush on his face.

"I've been spending too much time with Uncle, I guess," he mumbled. Katara smiled. It didn't quite reach her eyes, but some of the tension had gone from her shoulders.

"I'm leaving in a couple of days," she told Zuko.

"I know. I'll miss you."

"Promise you'll write," Katara said suddenly. Zuko blinked in surprise.

"Sure," he agreed. "I was planning to anyway." Katara grinned at him. This time it did reach her eyes.

"I'm going to hold you to that. I want at least two letters a month." She stood up and shook out her skirt, dusting off invisible dirt from the navy blue linen fabric. "I should go finish packing." Katara paused at the top of the stairs and turned back to Zuko. "Hey, if the job is still available, maybe I'll let you talk me into it, after I'm done with the school." Zuko stood up and smirked at her.

"In anyone else, that would be insanely arrogant," he told her. "But sure, I'll keep you in mind." Katara winked at Zuko.

"I know what I'm worth," she said, cheekily.

"Good," Zuko replied. He was smiling at her, but he was very serious as he added, "Don't ever forget it." Katara's eyes misted over, and she wrapped her arms around Zuko. He hugged her back, memorizing her warmth before they let go.

"Remember," Katara said. "Two letters a month, at least."

"I'll send you one a week," Zuko promised. Katara wiped her eyes and grinned.

"And I'll send you a batch of Gran-Gran's steamed prunes." Zuko's face fell.

"What did I do to you?" he demanded. Katara just laughed as she ran back into the palace, eager to begin her own adventure.


End file.
